Improvement in coal-mining machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. CROM'BIE.

CONI. MINING MACHINE. No.179.102. Pmennea June 27,1875.

i s Il, N

Elin-- N. PEYERS, PMoro-LlTNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D cf 2Sheets-Sheet2- A. cRoMBIE.

7 8 l 7, Z ef n u .J d e t .n Ew Na, T-b.. H G A M G N In N I M T.- A o C Z o 1 9 nl., 1 o! N N4 PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGHAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED iSTiLiTEs PATENT OEEIGE,

ALEXANDER CROMBIE, OF BRAIDWOOD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COAL-MINING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179. |02. dated J une 27, 1876; application filed May 29, 1876.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER GnoMBrE, of Braidwood, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Im- The nature of my invention consists in cer-4 tain constructions, combinations, and arrange' ments of parts, whereby the mining-machine patented by me December 2S, 1875, is greatly improved and simplified, and the cutting-wheel of said machine made capable of cutting its way into the coal-mine, whether it is revolved in a right or left hand direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the frame of the machine. This frame consists of a long main or bottom platform, A1, and a short top platform, A2. platforms are united firmly together by means of a side plate, A3, and pillars or standards A4. The frame thus formed is mounted on car-wheels a, which are adapted to run upon the railways used about mines. B is theplaning or cutting wheel, applied on the lower end of a vertical revolving shaft, C, which passes up through the platforms A1 and A2, and is confined from lateral movement at its top by the metal of the platform A2, and at a point just above the wheel by a strong metal plate screwed rmly t0 the edge of the platform A1. This screw-plate might be dispensed with, and the shaft passed up through a hole in the platform A2, the same as through the hole in the platform A1. For preventing any descending movement of the wheel and shaft, a broad bearing collar or shoulder, h, is formed on the shaft just above the platform A1, and under this collar a steel plate or friction-rollers may be placed.

ting-wheel B is suspended from the platforms,

The twov By means of this collar the cut-- and by having the shaft extend through both platforms it is sustained and kept true without the use of any obstruction, such as a lower bearing beneath the wheel for the shaft, and l the two separated bearin gs for the shaft above the wheel, prevent any possible deflection of the wheel, and the main frame proper bears the whole strain ofthe work done by the cutting-wheel. The cutting-wheel B has right and left rabbets cc cut in its periphery for cutters d to h't in,"and between every pair of which rabbets a concave throat or cavity, e, is formed for the escape of any clogging matters. There are cavities ff cut in the top and bottom faces of the rim of the wheel, into which cutters or plane-irons g are tted. The seats for the cutters g are made broader than the cutters, in order that clearingroom for obstructing or clogging matter shall be afforded. By changing the periphery cutter d from one side of the throat c to the other the wheel may be run in an opposite direction to the one in which it Was revolved previously but in such case the cutting-edges of the cutters g will be set to cut in `just the reverse direction to the one in which they were previously set for cutting.V Thecutters on one face of the wheel may be set the reverse of those on the other face. The olce of these cutters is to enable the Wheel to cut its way in and out of the coal-mine, while the cutters on the periphery cut the channel in the mine. y The wheel might be used near the top of a bed of coal, or nearer to the base thereof; and it might be used to cut a channel in a vertical or oblique direction by adjusting it to the railway and frame of the machine, with that purf pose 1n view.

For operating the cutter-Wheel, a pinion gear-wheel, D, is fastened upon the shaft G above the platform A1, and in to this pinion a large spur-wheel, E, on a Vertical shaft, E', sustained by the two platformsA1 and A2, gears. Upon the shaft Ef, vnear the upper part thereof, a wormwheel, Gr, is firmly fastened, and this wheel gears with a screw-wheel, F, ou a longitudinal shaft, H, sustained by the platform A1. This shaft H has a worm-thread, I, formed on it, which gears into a screwwheel, J, of a windlass-drum, K, sustained by the platform A1.

For transmitting to the gears and cuttingwheel the power of two inclined oscillating engines, L L, mounted upon the main frame A, a crank-shaft, M, is placed across the. main frame, and to the crank m of this shaft the piston-rods au of the engines are strapped loosely, as shown. The lcrankshaft carries a bevelpinion, M', which gears with a large bevel-wheel, N, on the shaft E( of the spurn'heel E. A tight rope, P, fastened by its respective ends to suitable [ixed objects, is coiled around the Windlassdrum K, and made to serve for propelling the machine forward as the cutting progresses, and backward after the cutting is completed. Y

Operation: The machine is brought up to a place in the coal-mine Where the coal has been cut away sufficiently for starting the eut or channelunder the bed of coal which it is desired to cave in or break down, and the steam or air power is admitted to the engines, which causes the engines to oseillate, and the crankshaft, gearing, and cutting-Wheel to revolve, which latter planes or cuts its way into the mass of coal a dista-nce about equal to half the diameter of the Wheel, and during this cutting operation the machine is gradually fed along by reason of the screwshaft and gears connected with it, imparting a slow revolution to the wiinllass-drum, and the tight rope causing sufficient friction upon the drum to make it l. The mining-machine herein described,

wherein the shaft carrying the revolving, planing, or cutting wheel is sustained within the main frame by supports entirely above the wheel, and receives its motion from engines by means of gears and shafts supported by, upon, and Within, the main frame, substantially` as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The revolving planing or cutting wheel, provided with right and left seats for planes or knives, between which seats a lrecess is formed, substantiall5T as and for the purpose set forth.

ALEXANDER CROMBIE.

Witnesses:

A. F. MATHES, WM. CAMPBELL. 

